Fill the Void
by pilas14
Summary: [slash]:sshp Harry ruffles some feathers of a Potions Master he thought to hate him and the rest of the school when he starts cutting himself. Draco heads up intervention. What will become of our hero if there's nothing left inside him worth saving?
1. Chapter 1

**Fill The Void**

Chapter 1

Severus Snape walked down the hallway at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his black robes flaring behind him. The cold air rushed around him, but the thick teaching robes kept him warm even on the third floor, where no heat ever seemed to circulate from the downstairs fireplaces.

"Life is one big Circle, but if you get lost in the little circles you will never finish the maze." He remembered how he used to live by that quote. He didn't remember who gave him that quote but he remembered how it fit into his life as a spy and a person.

Severus smirked maliciously when he thought of the faces of those who might know he mused on such deep subjects that didn't revolve around death, pain or suffering. It's not often you meet a bastard who would rather see you fail than make it through all seven years at Hogwarts, but many students thought Professor Snape to be only a professor. Many didn't even consider that perhaps he had a life outside these walls. Maybe that's why none of them had considered he hated teaching snotty nosed brats who called themselves witches and wizards.

He hated teaching but only he and the faculty were ever aware of it. Many students thought he had placed himself in the wrong career, but none bothered considering he might have had no choice in his placement.

Severus mused back to when the Dark Mark graced his left forearm, but it had left him when the Dark Lord had fallen. Although he had gotten a new tattoo where the previous one had faded, he still couldn't believe he had gotten something so...un-Slytherin tattooed in replacement. He would let the faculty take their guesses but he knew it had to do with his ever growing respect for Harry Potter, the boy who lived. It reminded him of what Harry had sacrificed to save them all. To save him.

A single flower grew in a swirl of clouds and the word _fragile_ was scripted along the flower stem. It was forever a silent reminder not forget what had happened only a few months ago. The memory of how he saw the Harry he knew die. Harry had come back as empty as the void he'd created to rid the world of the plague who had stolen the happiness from his world.

_Flashback_

_Everyone was screaming. Smoke was everywhere. Where was Harry? Did anyone see Harry in all this mess?_

_Blood. So much blood. Was it his blood?_

_/Flashback_

Harry had created a rift in time; a rift between all the worlds that held their world together. It had sucked all the ghosts of the world, and Voldemort (since he was not alive himself) into it. The Ministry of Magic had called it The Great Void. Harry nearly killed himself from the effort of casting such powerful magic. Severus didn't let anyone know he cared for Harry; he didn't want to get fired from the one place he considered home. The one place he was close to Harry.

'_He would have died if it wasn't for me_,' thought Severus. '_Wouldn't that be great? The Golden Boy dead! Instead, I get custody of my godson Draco Malfoy! Why Lucius named me godfather was beyond understanding. Yes, we were great friends and lovers before Narcissa, but why make me live with the carbon copy of himself, well at least physically._' After Draco's parent's died at the end of the war, Draco had moved into Severus' spare room.

Severus' life may of not have been much up until now but he had never had any loving parents or kind lovers. He didn't know how to trust, but he did know how to learn. Well Severus learned a few things. Like how to keep Draco's nightmares at bay and eventually, over the last few months, how to love Draco as a father should.

As the thoughtful man wandered through the hallways, he couldn't keep his mind off Harry Potter. He walked past the third floor bathroom and felt strong locking charms. The kind only Harry was strong enough to cast. Severus unlocked them easily because Harry always left a weak spot in all his complex shielding charms. One of the many quirks Severus had picked up about the boy when they had fought in the war together. The moment he stepped in the bathroom, however, he could smell blood. He saw a pale hand stretched out from one of the bathroom stalls and there was his Harry, still clutching his right arm close, blood seeping through his clothes and onto the floor.

"Oh God!" Harry whispered to himself, shaking back slightly, but violently, on the floor.

"Mr. Potter? What ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" screamed a red-faced Snape, trying very hard to not strangle what life was left out of the boy who lived and was currently dying on the girl's bathroom floor.

"Sir?" Harry whimpered, pulling himself tighter into a ball.

"Again, Mr. Potter, what are you doing?" Severus spat out, slightly more calm but trembling from the effort.

"Sir, I'm not doing anything against the rules," Harry answered piteously, cowering under the shadow of Snape's huge, black clad form.

"So self-mutilation isn't against the school rules?" asked Severus sarcastically in the most incredulous way he could muster.

"No Professor Snape, I'm afraid it's not," said a familiar voice behind him.

Draco Malfoy stepped resolutely into the girls' bathroom, followed by a pale faced Hermione Granger and shocked Ronald Weasley.

"What are you doing here Draco? And with these two," spat Severus viciously, looking at Hermione and Ron with the greatest contempt.

The three odd trio looked at each other and nodded. "An intervention, Uncle Sev. But lets get Harry cleaned up first."

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It was a strange sensation having Harry just standing there as they cleaned his cuts and washed the blood away. He didn't even seem to see them. Maybe he didn't really see anything just then. When they all sat down in Severus' private chambers, they were surprised when Harry nervously asked, "Where am I?"

He had a panicked look in his eye Severus didn't like.

"You're safe mate," Ron said reassuringly, patting him on the knee.

"We're only trying to help Harry," Hermione tried to explain, placing her hand on his back and rubbing what she hoped were comforting circles on his back.

Harry's eyes closed. "I don't want help." His voice quivered dangerously.

"Just calm down, Harry. We're not going to hurt you," Draco eased away from Harry as he said this. Hermione and Ron quickly pulled back their hands, taking Draco's unspoken suggestion.

"Too late."

None of them were quite sure who whispered it but Harry seemed to let go of something inside him. With raw power, Harry hit Hermione off her feet and into the coffee table. She was the one too close to him.

"Hermione!" screamed Draco and Ron. They pulled her away from the irate Harry and helped her out of the room.

"Potter, calm down," Severus yelled. He wasn't going to buy this pity party attention act for one second. But when his first and favorite tea set smashed into oblivion, Severus started to doubt Harry was really under control.

The entire room was trembling with the force of Harry's power.

"Potter?" he asked, more quietly this time. He berated himself for stooping down to use a student's first name, however he might feel for the student in question. "Harry?" No response. "Please Harry. Stop."

The trembling in the room ceased immediately and Harry was left on the ground, shaking. "Harry?" A vase exploded in shattered porcelain, covering the floor with sharp shards. Harry wasn't really calmed down. Severus could tell Harry was just forcing himself to keep all the anger bottled up.

Was it really anger though? Severus wasn't entirely sure.

He crept closer to Harry, who was rocking back and forth on the floor. Tears squeezed through his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. Something stirred and reminded him that this was the boy, no man, he loved.

When Severus got close enough to him, he reached out to rest his hand on Harry's shoulder, just enough to get his attention. As soon as he touched the boy, his giant mirror shattered over the piano, but Harry's reaction was unusually calm.

"Harry?" he asked, praying for some sort of positive response.

_Wham!!_ There went his other tea set.

Quietly this time, in an almost a breathless whisper, Severus pleaded, "Please...Harry, please." He was crying too now, hoping Harry wasn't going to keep destroying himself inside.

Suddenly everything was breaking; potion vials exploded everywhere, spilling toxic potions all over the carpet.

'_That's enough!_' and Severus did something he knew wasn't just for Harry's own good. He kissed Harry Potter.

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_The burning was going to consume me. Someone kept calling out my name._

_I wanted to tell whoever it was to go away, but they kept calling. I wasn't sure where I was but the fire was here, in me. Someone was pleading but I couldn't comply._

_Something warm touched my lips. Everything's gone. I can't remember, I couldn't remember who kissed me..._

Harry continued to rock back and forth on the floor. He whispered, "My fault" over and over in his on the floor. He couldn't face the next day. He was unconscious before Severus even scooped him into his arms._  
_

What do you think? Longer and changed is nice. My betas suggested making longer chapters (like many reviewers did too) and I decided they were totally right! I'll get to updating soon! More reviews won't make me more inspired, but might help me if you give good suggestions.

pilas14


	2. Chapter 2

**Fill The Void**

Chapter 2

Darkness. No, a fog. Clouds of haze passing slowly over his mind. Sunlight. Birds.

Huh?

Birds?

"Harry?" someone was calling him. Was it Snape? No, a girl.

Must. Open. Eyes.

Slowly but surely Harry Potter opened his brilliant green eyes.

Hermione's bushy hair was the first thing Harry saw before she threw herself onto him in a ferocious hug. "We were SO worried!" squealed Hermione.

Harry blinked at her for a few seconds before she exclaimed "Oh!" and handing him his glasses.

Ron looked nervously over Hermione's shoulder. "How're you doing mate?" He scuffed his right toe nervously against the tile floor of the Hospital Wing.

The patient shrugged. "I feel okay, I think," he sighed and stretched his arms. Apart from the splitting pain resonating all through his body, Harry was actually telling the truth. He didn't really remember why he felt so good today. Maybe the same reason why he couldn't remember what happened last night.

Madame Pomfrey chose that moment to bustle into the Infirmary. "You're fine Mr. Potter. The headmaster would want to see you," Harry's eyes went wide for a moment, "but we can't find him right now. I think he's away on Ministry business. You may all go."

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"Harry?" Hermione asked. She was bustling down the hallway at an incredible speed.

"Yea?" he replied dreamily. He was in his own little world since they had left the Hospital Wing. He stared at the rotten brown shoes the Dursley's had given him for his last birthday. The best birthday present they'd ever bother to throw at him. He was mulling thing over in his head when Hermione asked him an unexpected question.

"Why do you cut yourself?" she asked bluntly.

"Hermione!" screamed Ron.

Harry was frozen like a deer caught in the headlights. All the memories of cutting, of Severus and recent events came back to him in a big wave.

Suddenly Harry turned and sprinted towards the dungeons. Neither Ron or Hermione followed him.

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Professor Snape looked livid.

Harry swore he could see a large vein pounding menacingly on his temple.

"Potter!" yelled Snape. "What are you doing in my private rooms?!"

The taller man crossed the distance between them in two strides, leaving a very naked Severus standing in front of a bewildered Harry Potter.

Much to Harry's dismay, he looked down, blushed, and looked back up just as quickly to find Snape staring at him with burning, obsidian eyes. "So...sorr...sorry, sir," stuttered Harry. He fumbled with his glasses, bringing up his hand to straighten them but accidentally brushing against Snape's very bare chest while doing so.

Harry registered a slight shiver that ran through his teacher at the touch and it left a warm sensation tingling on Harry's hand.

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Severus breathed in a hoarse whisper. If Harry hadn't been standing so close he might have missed it.

Harry was stunned. He just stood there in front of a very wet and naked Potion's Master. '_He has a very sexy body,_" Harry thought, as he stood there. '_And why do I think my professor is hot?_"

Harry looked again and saw Snape shivering from the cold dungeons.

"Oh!" Harry turned to leave. "Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Severus replied, really starting to lose his patience.

"You really shouldn't keep your dungeons so cold," Harry quirked a smile and was gone.

Grumpy look firmly in place, Severus padded into his room, not even bothering to get dressed and flopped onto his bed with a loud sigh. He wasn't going to sleep any time soon.

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Sometime later, there was a knock at the door. Severus quickly pulled on a pair of low rise black jeans that desperately needed a belt and padded to the bedroom door.

A "Hello Uncle Sev," came with the body on the other side of the door. "How are you Uncle Sev?" Severus rolled his eyes.

"Better before you intruded," growled Severus. Draco seemed to ignore his bad mood with surprising ease. "What do you want?" Severus asked with a sigh.

Draco gave that smile. The evil, malicious smile that he must have picked up from his late father. Lucius Malfoy had dueled with Severus during the final battle, when Harry opened up the Great Void. Severus wondered if Draco blamed or even hated him for his father's death.

But at this moment, Draco was wearing his father's smile and it put Severus on edge. "Draco?" he asked cautiously. This might be a very bad turn of events.

"Dear Uncle," _uhoh_, "Have you given any thought to the welfare of Harry?" Draco asked sweetly. When did Draco ever call Harry anything but Potter? Very curious.

Severus answered honestly none the less, "Yes, Draco, I think we'll have to let the headmaster personally deal with _Potter_." He emphasized Potter, trying to get Draco to pretend to behave as his normal, upfront self.

Draco didn't look very surprised, which made Severus even more suspicious. He immediately asked his next, obviously premeditated question. "Wouldn't it be better if _you_ talked to Harry?" Severus tried his best to ignore the rest of the comments. The question made him uncomfortable.

"I mean," Draco continued, "you two would make great friends if you just had a conversation or something." The dark haired man's eyes slit dangerously. "Maybe you could someday be lovers too," Draco finished. He darted out the open door and up the dungeon staircase.

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Harry, who sat in the infirmary getting his check up, was surprised when a sweaty and out of breath Malfoy ran into the hospital wing.

"Help!" Draco whispered frantically. Harry glanced at Madame Pomfrey's office door, which was thankfully closed. "Snape's after me," continued the wide eyed Slytherin.

Harry was rolling his eyes when a large boom came from down the hallway and a very very angry Snape yelled down the hall. "Draco!! I WILL KILL YOU!" and Harry, for one, believed him.

"Under the bed. Quick!!" he whispered to Draco. The blonde hair had just disappeared under the hanging sheets when an enraged Potion's Master burst open the infirmary doors. His eyes narrowed on Harry and walked up to him in a flurry of robes.

"Where is he Potter?" Snape hissed in a deadly voice. He was going to kill Draco.

"I…I…I don…I don't know, sir," Harry stuttered.

Suddenly, Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room, took one look at Severus, who was holding Harry by the collar and exploded.

"Severus Snape!" she screeched. Severus cringed.

"Madame Pomfrey, I can…"

"I don't want to hear it!" which shut Severus up immediately. "Get out of my Hospital Wing this instant and stay out until you can treat my patients with a little more respect!"

Severus slowly released Harry and stalked out of the room with as much finess as he'd entered with, if not a little less upset.

Madame Pomfrey quickly nodded, which Harry supposed meant he was dismissed and slammed her office door shut. Draco slithered from underneath Harry's bed.

"That was close," he said with a sigh. As an afterthought, he threw in a "Thanks."

"What got him so angry?" Harry asked in wonder.

"You," Draco answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry nodded in understanding. "What about me?"

"Well I was being presumptuous and told him you two would make good friends and maybe even a good couple," Draco baited coolly.

Harry sat fish mouthed, staring in the general direction Snape just exited. "How do you even know I'm gay?" he asked, though he really was curious as to how Draco knew he had a crush on Snape.

"I'll eat a sock if you're not gay, Harry Potter," he said to Harry's amazement. He poked Harry for emphasis.

Of course, Harry was but he only assumed Draco would tell the world. The last thing Harry wanted was more publicity.

"I can't prove that I'm not gay, if that's what you're staring at me so smugly for," Harry snarked.

Draco smiled. "Well I can," Draco said flatly.

He kissed Harry, pining him down to the bed. The red faced Harry struggled for am oment but then moaned loudly into Draco's mouth, who was about to pull away when the infirmary door swung open.

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Severus was sulking quietly back down the hall thinking about how he should apologize to Harry, though he hated to admit he was even considering it. He heard a low moan coming form the infirmary.

"Oh my god," he whispered. He turned on his heel in a very un-Snapeish way and sprinted towards in the Hospital Wing.

The sight laying before him was his nephew _groping_ the boy who lived.

"Draco Malfoy!" roared Severus. Harry panicked, shoving Draco from his bed where he landed in a mess of sheets.

Surveying the scene, Severus said the one thing which made most sense. "Detention, Mr. Malfoy." And with that he stalked down to his dungeons for a stiff drink.

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Pilas14 for all the reviews!! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Fill The Void**

Chapter 3

"I am sorry Harry!" cried Draco.

Silence.

"Will you at least talk to me?" pleaded the blonde. They were walking down for their detentions with Professor Snape. But was more of Harry bustling down to the dungeons and Draco running after him, pleading for forgiveness.

Silence came from Harry. His only reply apart from the squeak of his sneakers was the obviously pissed off look at being near the Slytherin.

As they arrived at the dungeons, Draco and Harry were surprised to find no sign of their professor in the classroom.

Instead, two desks opposite the room from one another, each with a thick red envelope placed on it. One had Draco's name, the other Harry's.

Harry walked over to his scroll and sat down cautiously. The ever so familiar script of his Potion's professor didn't set him at ease as he opened his envelope.

It was a blank piece of parchment.

He looked over at Draco, who was scribbling furiously at his equally blank parchment, not paying any attention to Harry.

When Harry looked back down, words appeared at the top of the paper.

_Welcome to your detention, Mr. Potter._

As Harry read this, more script appeared below the first. This reminded him greatly of Tom Riddle's diary and made him on edge.

_How are you today?_

Harry pulled out his quill and ink and wrote as neatly as he could.

_**I'm fine. Who's this?**_

_Professor Snape._

He scribbled back furiously. **_Why are you talking to me like this?_**

_I wanted to ask you a few questions away from Draco's prying ears._

_**Okay. Ask away.**_

_Are you and Draco together?_

_**No!! I think he kissed me to see if I was lying when I said I wasn't gay.**_

_Why would he care whether you were gay or not?_

_**I don't really know.**_

_Are you gay?_

_**Yes.**_

_Why did you cut yourself?_

The question came so suddenly, Harry almost dropped his quill. He had answered whether he was gay so assured of his answer. But now he didn't even have an excuse prepared, let alone a plausible reason.

_Well?_

_**I don't know, sir.**_

_Are you lonely?_

_**Yes.**_

_Is that why you cut yourself, Potter?_

_**That's a part of it, I think.**_

Harry was surprised when no message came after this. He kept writing.

_**I suppose it's the pain I want to get rid of.**_

_What pain?_

_**Why should I trust you?**_

There was no reply for a moment.

_Do you trust me?_

_**Should I?**_

_I saved your life. On numerous occasions, not just the other night._

_**True.**_

_Will you tell me then?_

_**Only because I need to tell someone and…I do trust you.**_

_Thank you, Harry._

_**My parents are dead. I'm not the Golden Boy. My friends don't understand me. I'm alone. Sirius and Cedric are both dead because of me not kill Moldymort in time. And I'm in love.**_

A second hung in the air, breathless, as Harry waiting for a reply. He almost thought he wasn't going to get one. That maybe he had gone too far when…

_Who?_

_**What?  
**_

_With who are you in love with?_

_**Nobody.**_

_Is that so?_

_**No...**_

_Well then who?_

_**You**_

He wrote it so suddenly that he gasped in surprise at what his own hand had betrayed. He had forgotten he was talking with Severus Snape, the greasy git and menace of his life. He was as good as dead. But more script arranged itself underneath his.

_Why do you fancy yourself in love with me?_

_**Should I tell you the truth?**_

_Please enlighten me._

_**You're sexy and a god. I can't help but love how you never treat me any different because I'm the "boy who lived and defeated voldie". You showed real kindness to me at the final battle and you saved me from the destruction I caused on myself. I liked it when you kissed me.**_

_I shouldn't have kissed you._

_**I would like you to again.**_

_What?!_

_**I liked you kissing me and I would like to do it again. Preferably when I'm conscious this time.**_

_Surely not, Mr. Potter._

_**It's Harry, by the way.**_

_Mr. Potter._

_**H A R R Y. Harry.**_

_Mr. Potter…_

_**Can I call you Severus?**_

_**Please? I've almost graduated!**_

_Amazingly…_

_**Please?!**_

_I'm not going to let you waste your time with me, Potter._

_**It's not a waste.**_

_Then I won't because I do not look forward to being throw away when you're done with me._

_**Is that what you think I would do?**_

Tears hit the parchment.

_Oh bloody hell. Don't cry._

Said tears kept falling on the page.

_Please don't cry._

_**You really think of me like that? As a child who doesn't know how to love?**_

_You're seventeen. I'm old enough to be your father. And if your father was alive he would kill us both. As is, he will probably turn over in his grave to know we're even having this discussion._

_**So you do like me?**_

_No, but I'm saying if we did have a relationship of sorts, even friendship, it would be impossible._

_**Could we at least try being friends?**_

_Just friends._

Harry laughed because he could feel the incredulous look coming from Snape through the parchment.

_**Yah…so I have some support and stuff. I need help, in case you didn't get the message.**_

_If you really want to be my friend, you have to follow the rules._

_**If you want rules, you'll have to make them.**_

_No seduction. No temptation. Nothing more than friendship. Understand?_

_**Crystally.**_

_You know that's not a word, Potter._

_**No kidding? Let's get rid of the Potter thing. Start over?**_

_That's agreeable._

_**Okay. Hi, I'm Harry.**_

_I'm Severus._

_**Can we talk face to face now?**_

_No, because I can't treat you like a friend in class._

_**So how exactly are you going to be my friend?**_

_Keep this parchment and we can write each other whenever we want._

_**'Kay!**_

_So are you going to actually study for tomorrow's potion quiz?_

_**I would get a lot better grades if you treated me fairly.**_

_I'll think about it…_

_**Good.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Fill The Void**

Chapter 4

The halls of Hogwarts seemed darker than usual as Harry walked towards the dungeons. He was late to his first potions class with Severus as his friend. Of course, it was more like a piece of parchment was his friend.

He walked into the open door of the potion's lab quietly. No Professor Snape. But Harry was sure the Slytherin's would tattle on him. But in fact, only Hermione looked up when he sat down next to her.

Looking up at the chalkboard, he saw the potion ingredients listed there. Nothing different there.

But everyone was working hard, with no talking at all. Not even a whisper.

Harry pulled out the parchment Severus had given him.

_**Where are you?**_

_You're late._

_**Sorry.**_

_I'm still in the classroom._

_**Where?**_

_You can't see me?_

Harry looked around again.

_**No.**_

_That's because I'm invisible._

_**Trying to scare us?**_

_It's working, isn't it?_

_**You fiend. You're scaring them into submission.**_

_Tsk tsk. You act surprised._

_**Can't you just be nice?**_

_No. Why aren't you working?_

_**You don't want to talk to me?**_

_Insufferable brat, get to work._

_**Yes Sevvie…**_

_Detention._

_**Wha?**_

_No nicknames._

Harry sighed, put away the parchment and got to work on the potion.

An hour later, everyone was packing up to go to dinner but Harry was still working on his potion.

"Class dismissed," called out Snape, who was apparently still invisible. Harry ignored him and kept working as Hermione placed her vial of potion on Snape's desk and left.

"Mr. Potter," called Severus's icy voice.

"Yes, Professor?" replied Harry.

"Not going to dinner?"

"Have to finish, sir," Harry answered as he added lizard extract.

"Very well. How much longer?"

"About fifteen minutes and then I'll be done, professor," Harry replied in a monotone.

"Very good," said his professor.

"I won't be long," called Harry as the door to the Potion's lab closed, apparently leaving him alone.

As soon as Harry was sure Severus had to be well into dinner, he grabbed his pants, squeezed and came violently in his pants.

"Why does he do this to me?" Harry whispered into his cauldron. His black hair framed his face but the tears still dripped down his nose and into the cauldron. He didn't seem to notice.

"You're going to ruin your potion, Mr. Potter," whispered a velvety voice behind him. Harry's eyes went wide. "And my, my…do you always do such things when people are supposedly not around?" Harry froze.

"Still invisible?" Harry asked, hoping to god he was only being delusional.

Instead of an answer, he felt warm breath on his neck. "Keep stirring. You're going to make it explode if you don't follow my directions. Understand?"

Harry nodded, gulping audibly. But now all his attention was focused on the breath on his neck. It drove him nuts, making it hard to concentrate on Snape's instructions.

"Turn three times clockwise…" All the instructions melded together so Harry was responding but not really listening.

At a crucial time in the instruction, Severus leant down closer to check on Harry's potion. His silky black hair tickled the boy's neck, sending a twitch through his entire body. The potion gurgled unhappily and let out a smoke as the turning took a wrong direction. The smoke landed on the invisible man and the boy and they both fell to the ground.

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Severus tried to get up and off of Harry but realized he couldn't.

He wasn't even on Harry. He was on his own couch. He recognized the plush, velvet material. In his private chambers no less. But where was Harry? What happened to the potion?

He heard voices outside of his living room, where he was currently laying down. In the hallway that connected to his bathroom.

"What did you do to him?"

That was Draco's voice. What was Draco doing here?

It hit him in the head. Draco knew the password to his private chambers.

But the voice was talking again.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, Draco," whispered Harry, barely audible from where Severus lay.

"Yes, you do, Harry! You're just not telling me. You were panicked when you got me of all people for help. We should have taken him up to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey would know what to do for his blasted nightmares!" Draco retorted furiously.

"You know he would hate that!" relied Harry hastily. "He hates Madame Pomfrey and he would hate waking up there. You are so stupid!" Harry's voice would still be considered a whisper but his voice was deadly.

Severus thought he had better stop this. "Oh, children!" he called sarcastically. "Could you bring me a glass of water?"

Two heads popped out of the hallway.

"Sure thing, Uncle Sev," answered Draco uncertainly. Wondering how much his godfather had heard, he drifted down the hall to the bathroom but shot Harry one final, nasty look.

Despite the sore spots that still nestled in his throat, Severus managed to croak out something that sounded like brat. Harry couldn't be sure.

Harry was quiet for a minute, then said cautiously, "I didn't tell him what happened with the potion, Professor. I swear."

Looking Harry in the eye Severus shot back, "There is nothing to say." His voice was soft and raspy but his expression was cold.

Blinking a little, Harry hadn't been expecting such an unfriendly gesture. He blinked again, this time to stop the tears. Harry ducked his head back into the hallway and run for the bathroom just as Draco came out.

Draco took one look as the door slammed shut and walked to Severus.

"What did you do?" asked Draco, his voice was deadly. A protective glint shown keenly in his eye.

Severus was speechless. Why was he scared of Draco?

"He had better be okay!" Draco yelled suddenly as Severus sat in shock.

Draco ran to the bathroom door and knocked gently. "It's me, Harry," he said kindly.

There was a pause, then a click and Draco walked into the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Fill The Void**

Chapter 5

_'I can't stand this anymore,'_ thought Severus. Draco and Harry could be doing any number of horrible, sexual thing with each other in the bathroom. '_And I'm just sitting here, feeling sorry for myself!_'

But strangely, Severus didn't make a move towards his bathroom. As if didn't want to break some strange taboo that had settled over the bathroom door. Voices fell like the rustling of leaves, one strangely calm and reasoning, the other water and broken.

When the bathroom door finally opened, Draco came out and walked slowly down the hallway and sat in his chair. He looked tired. More tired than Severus had seen him since the final battle.

"He's alright?" Severus asked nervously. He fidgeted and shifted uncomfortably on his own couch.

Draco nodded, not looking at his godfather.

"Is he going to come out?" he questioned. Would Harry really want to come out and face this person who had made the last few minutes of his life hell?

The blonde shrugged. He didn't know or wasn't saying.

"I suppose I have to go talk to him, right?" Severus whined, dreading the forthcoming conversation he knew wouldn't end well. All the sudden, Harry Potter was the last person he wanted to face.

Draco stood up quickly. His face was red; furious. "Don't go in there if you don't want to. It's the _last_ thing he needs." With that he was down the hall and into his room.

Now Severus felt worse than ever. What was he supposed to do?

Of course…

He had to go talk with Harry.

Did he really want to? Yes, he wanted to fix what he had obviously broken. But was Harry going to forgive him? He didn't know if he would, if he were in Harry's position.

As Severus thought about how he had probably thrown away the most precious thing in the world to him, Severus started to cry.

HARRYSEVERUSHARRYSEVERUSHARRYSEVERUSHARRYSEVERUSHARRYSEVERUSHARRY

Harry sat in Snape's bathroom for a long time, crying and mulling over the lost friendship and his last chance at having the man he loved. Finally, he had given up the hope Severus would come looking for him. He walked as quietly as he could out of the bathroom, hoping not to disturb Severus, where ever he was.

When Harry crept into the living room and he stopped dead. Severus was there, sitting on the couch where they had placed him, head in his hands. Crying. It reminded Harry of when Severus had kissed him. They'd both been crying then.

If Harry hadn't seen Severus cry once, he might not have recognized it now. He was hunched over, his frame shaking ever so softly. Choked back sobs escaped as Harry watched.

"Severus?" whispered Harry as he came into the living room.

The older man looked up sharply. He coughed hoarsely, "Mr. Potter," he stared at Harry, unable to think of anything else to say.

Harry looked down so Severus wouldn't see the fresh tears clouding his eyes.

"Gods Harry…" Severus was at a complete loss. What was he supposed to do about the pang of guilt he felt build up in his chest when he saw Harry cry. "I'm sorry, Harry."

He got up slowly from the couch and started to make his way towards his bedroom. Harry, realizing he was about to be left alone, quickly said, "If you don't want me here, tell me to go." His eyes were so clouded by this point that big, fat tears started rolling down his cheeks.

Severus shook his head, "I'm causing you so much pain, Harry. I just wanted to be your friend and I even messed that up. You can stay, if you want. On the couch or with Draco…I'm sure you would rather be there than with me." The misery made his voice tremble and quiver.

Then Harry was alone in the living room of Severus Snape's private quarters with a broken heart in hand. Draco's room did look very inviting, but Harry knew this was the last chance he would ever have to make things right with Severus. He did the only thing he knew wouldn't get him hurt as badly as he just had been.

**_Are you mad at me?_** Harry wrote on the parchment. A few minutes went by without a reply, but then he recognized Severus's script handwriting forming a reply.

_What have I done?_ Harry felt as though his heart would break.

_**Nothing that can't be fixed between friends.**_

_Somehow I seriously doubt your sincerity. I just…I made you promise to be just friends and then at the first test of true friendship, I stabbed you the worst way possible. I played off feelings I knew you had for me. I feel terrible._

_**What if I said I could forgive you?**_

_I wouldn't want you to. I don't deserve it._

_**What if I said I wanted to. Not because you deserve it, but because I had my own selfish reasons.**_

"I would say that's very Slytherin of you, Harry," Severus replied, stepping out of his room clad in black silk pajamas.

Harry couldn't take his eyes off him. He was so happy to see Severus smirking at him, wearing something so very sexy and knowing it too. It made him gulp down a groan. But he smiled and stood up to give Severus a hug when he opened his arms for Harry.

"So you forgive a stupid, greasy git?" Severus whispered in his hair.

"If there was one here, I would definitely forgive him. If I'm forgiving you, I suppose I could forgive him too."

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Harry woke up in Gryffindor tower, though he had no recollection of how he'd gotten in his own bed. Severus had fallen asleep with him on the couch last night. Maybe he'd been carried up once he'd fallen into deep sleep. It made Harry stretch and smile, taking in a fresh morning gulp of air with new enthusiasm.


End file.
